Activity: Developing Team Norms After you have discussed the purpose of your team, it’s important to understand the expectations, or norms, under which your team will operate. The activity below will guide you through an exercise to collectively develop your team’s norms. TEAM NORMS/EXPECTATIONS (15 minutes) Review the sample team norms below. Add, subtract or modify to create norms for your team. Be sure to include group norms on each theme below and how you will self correct if the norm is broken. (If you don’t self correct the new norm will be breaking the norms.) The list below is just a SAMPLE; feel free to come up with your own norms for your group Discussion and Decision-making: How we will discuss options and reach decisions as a team to ensure vigorous input and debate? Always Do

Never Do

Engage in open, honest debate

Engage in personal attacks

Ask great questions

Fail to listen to what others say

Balance advocacy with inquiry

Jump to conclusions

Debate until time is up and then take a vote.

Meeting Management: How will we manage meetings to respect each other’s time? Always Do

Never Do

Start on time; stay on time

Come to meetings unprepared

Be fully present throughout the meeting

Answer cell phones or do email

Groundswell | 1850 M Street NW, Suite 1150 | Washington, D.C. 20036 202.505.3051 | www.groundswell.org | @grndswell

Accountability: How we will delegate responsibilities for actions and activities? How will we follow through on commitments? Always Do

Never Do

Clarify understanding

Assume you have agreement

Provide follow-up on action items

Assume tasks are getting done

Ask for/offer support when there is a need

Commit to a task that you know

Weekly check-in won’t do How will you "self correct" if norms are not followed?

Discussion and Decision-making: How we will discuss options and reach decisions as a team to ensure vigorous input and debate? Always Do

Never Do

Meeting Management: How will we manage meetings to respect each other’s time? Always Do

Never Do Groundswell | 1850 M Street NW, Suite 1150 | Washington, D.C. 20036 202.505.3051 | www.groundswell.org | @grndswell

Accountability: How we will delegate responsibilities for actions and activities? How will we follow through on commitments? Always Do

Never Do

How will you "self correct" if norms are not followed?

Are there other norms that you want to add that may not fall into one of the above-mentioned categories?

Teams work best when you have a regular, reliable time to coordinate together.

Groundswell | 1850 M Street NW, Suite 1150 | Washington, D.C. 20036 202.505.3051 | www.groundswell.org | @grndswell

What will your team’s regular meeting time and place be?

Groundswell | 1850 M Street NW, Suite 1150 | Washington, D.C. 20036 202.505.3051 | www.groundswell.org | @grndswell